Talking Rugby Union Exclusive with England’s Henry Thomas

It has been announced that Sale Sharks prop Henry Thomas has been added to England’s squad for Saturday’s opening Autumn international test with Australia at Twickenham.

Thomas, who is still only 21, has been brought in for the injured David Wilson of Bath, alongside Bath hooker Rob Webber, who was also introduced to the elite squad today.

The starting team to face Australia will be announced by head coach Stuart Lancaster on Thursday, before the England side face Argentina the following week and then New Zealand the week after.

Talking Rugby Union’s Austin Halewood spoke to Thomas earlier this year, at the Sale Sharks pre-season press day in Salford, about his pre-season training; plans for the coming season; the RFU’s new scrum laws and finally, his international ambitions.

The interview came just a few weeks after Thomas had returned from the England team’s summer tour of Uruguay and Argentina; where he won his first international cap.

Thomas has starred this season for the Sharks, having featured in all of their games, and the Manchester-based front row will be looking to seize his opportunity and cement a firm place within the England squad.

However, the task is no easy one, particularly at prop, with the likes of Dan Cole, Harlequins’ Joe Marler and Alex Corbisiero and Mako Vunipola, who played big parts in this summer’s Lions tour of Australia.

Thomas will be looking to help his country repeat the heroics of last autumn’s test series, as the men in white recorded one of the country’s greatest rugby wins with a 38-21 shock demolition of World Champions New Zealand at Twickenham.

England Squad:

Forwards: David Attwood (Bath Rugby), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Alex Corbisiero (Northampton Saints), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

Backs: Chris Ashton (Saracens), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Danny Care (Harlequins), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Alex Goode (Saracens), Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), Joel Tomkins (Saracens), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Marland Yarde (London Irish), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)